Bologna Pony

This is an airy, exposed but totally safe journey up the impressive hanging arete on the far right side of the Ship's Prow (the north-facing side just above Chasm Lake). An awesome route in its own right, this is also a good Plan B tick if things are looking wet and/or ominous on the Diamond.

P1. (12a) Though the cracks on the sunny east side of the arete beckon, the first pitch actually climbs a thin, tips splitter around the right side of the arete, on the north-facing wall. Climb a 1.5" crack up to a roof. A bolt and a fixed stopper take you past a crux and into sustained 5.11 territory. Once the crack ends at a pegmatite blob, finger-tip traverse left past a fixed nut and a bolt (crux #2) to the arete, then climb easy ground to a double-bolt belay. If you're feeling heroic, drop a line in on Tommy Caldwell's

Sarchasm

(14a), the bolted line up the arete proper.

P2. (11+) This is a short but stout pitch that takes you out to a spectacular belay on the hanging arete. Climb easy corners (thin gear) up and right, then move left past three bolts (2 fixed draws) on funky slopers to reach the belay.

P3: (12c) Possibly one of the best sport pitches around! Hats-off, kudos, and props to Pat and Jim for their multiple trips up to the Ship's Prow to hand-drill the 13 bolts on this pitch. This pitch is in your face right off the belay -- climb very overhanging rock on the undercut arete, pimping slopers, little crimps, and funky pinches. As the angle relents, so does the climbing. Tricky route-finding and devious cruxes on the upper arete and face will have you on your toes all the way to the double-bolt anchors at the top of the prow.

NOTE: this pitch is exactly 30 meters long -- you can get back to the belay with a 60-meter rope, and your second can toprope to clean the draws. Bring a 60 meter trail line, and you can double-rope rappel straight to the ground from the belay at the base of this pitch. Alternatively, you can clip the two fixed draws on P2 as you lower/rappel to redirect back to the P1 belay stance, then do another rappel back to the ground (60m rope sufficient).

This route mostly has bolts and fixed gear, but you'll need a light rack for the first and second pitches -- some stoppers, RP's, #0 and #00 TCUs, and doubles up through about 2 inches.